The Tricolored bat is a newcomer to Colorado, aside from a few random sightings prior to 2017. That year, there were four sightings, including a mother and two babies. Now it seems like the bats, native to the east and Midwest of North America, may be settling in Colorado for good. This would be good for them, because white-nose syndrome (a fungal disease that kills bats) threatens them in the eastern part of their range, so the Rocky Mountain west could be a safe haven. They are currently known from Weld and Boulder counties in the northeastern part of the state.
These little bats – the smallest species in the eastern part of the US, weighing only 5-8 grams – have a band of tri-colored fur down their backs which gives them a distinctive look. Euro-American scientists initially believed that they were related to pipistrelles, bats native to Europe, but further research showed that they were more closely related to the Canyon Bat, who we talked about back in Issue #88. Interestingly, one of their major predators is the Northern Leopard Frog, who we talked about back in Issue #56.
Speaking of bat-related diseases, this species is responsible for more deaths from rabies than any other bat in North America – responsible for sixteen deaths from 1958-2000 (rabies, much like quicksand, was one of those things childhood me thought was a lot more common of a threat than it actually is).